, 1887-07-21

49, ed ss,,,g pass,;sa. 2sssss ,5"s, % S@'
WEsTCHEsTER COUNTY. adherinp 70 the
crown on one side and the colonies ON the
other. On the southeast every inlet from
Hellgate and the approaches to the Sound has
its own tradition OF the landing of British and
Hessians, and skirmish between them and
the militia, while down the center of tbe
county runs the classic Bronx, on which is
the capital of the county, White Plains. n
lovely suburban town, which gives a name to
that series of sliirmishes, panics, rushes, nd.
vances and retreats that made the region
lively and made history rapidly in brown Oc-
tober, Ill years ago.
n%a
Westchester county is shaped about like the
hind leg Of Percheron-Norman horse. wit.
a slight modification like that of a broken
backed salamander; on the west the bends OF
the Hudson preserve the Hogarthian lines OF
beauty fairly we'll and on the southeast the
ragged outlines OF bay aud sound arc almost
symmetrical; but where the line Is man
made it is badly marred; for the triangular
boundary between county and stste on one
side and Connecticut on the other there is
but one explanaton-when the colonial sur.
veyors did the job, the brush was very thick
and rum was very cheap. Hence that amaz.
ing double y in the interstate boundary.
which runs south, southeast, west-southwest
and then southeast again, from the northea. :;
corner of Westchester to Portchester on I'll,
sound. All this, however, has nothing to d.,
with the battle field where have Just spent
delightful day, with a journalistic compan.
ION who kindly accompanies me in strapg,
places as guide, philosopher and friend. TAX.
ing the New York and Harlem division of I'll,
M Vpr.ly Gta,.N-
depot on Forty-second street in New York. w,
whizzed through tho suburbs for thirty eight
minutes and detrained mot debarked) at
White Plains, twenty-three miles from the
heart OF the city. We struck It Just at the
right time, for there had been a revival Of
interest in revolutionary "reminiscences,
caused by the unearthing Of a shell in
an excavation near the depot. The shel!
had not exploded and the powder could
still be seen; but the neck had corroded
and the thing was harmless. Not long ago
Harry Dykeman, son Of the venerable Judge
Dykeman, found one Of the abandoned
American cannon where it had been con-
cealed just before the retreat, its position
when found being two feet under the surface
so one mortar, two cannons and shell have
been found within a few years, besides the
three skeletons unearthed from the gravel of
Charleston's Hill when the new road was con
structed The last discovered cannon now
has gorgeous setting: an evergreen square
in front of the Dykeman ma sion incloses IL.
as If it marked the tomb of a loved one gone
while all around are such lovely trees. such
smooth green swarCs that one is almost pe,.-
suaded the whole history is myth and there
nre no such things a. war and wanton killing
in so lovely a world But when we 90 eost
ward from the town we find indications of
wealth and luxury chat would have amazed
Washington ii he could have imagined what
this ground would show in another century
westward from White Plains is the nofed
Bronx, stream rod wide and six inches
deep during the June rise just west of IL II
beautiful winding turnpike passes over Chat
Jerton ltiil, were the only rogillnr battle took
place. On the 9Th OF Octo.at no Colonel
taslett, with l.GJO men. fortified the hill:
next mouing carly Colonel NcDougal and
Alexander Hamilton, the latter with two
pieces of artillery, joined him there. and at
10 n. m. the BrAisd and Hessians with at
least ! l,OOO men, moved to the attack. In
me direct assault they were repuised with
heavy losses. They moved westward and
hanRed the Americans right, driving the lat
ter from the Hill after a short but spirited ell
Washington soon concentrated
his scattered forces little farther north. md
after some skirmish ng retrea'ed slowly, and
on the 18th OF November the main army
crossed into New Jersey, leaving the New
England troops on the east of the Hudson TO
defend he'highlands.
Three miles eastward, on the summit OF the
ridge, stands like mountain of misfortune
re not"h castle OF the late Ben. Holiday.
N'"TH '-l there Is little beauty in this vast
pile ot gray tone: but in two hours exani-
nation OF tile interior, under the guidance OF
the superintendent, we were delighted by the
suites OF rooms, elegantly finished in oak
merry, wa. int, rosewood and mahogany.
The recent death OF Benjamin Holiday,
~ Tue way ends history more romantic |
nan tbe novelist usually portrays. The |
Use OF TINS man from day laborer and !
nlnli fn'1nsr to n millionaire mngnate, hts |
'areer OF power in the far west, his connec-
ion with the great enterprises of Is5o-7O. his
uiNquent failure aud the prosecution of his
'reat claim against the government 90 to
make up a career impossible in any other
ountiy than the United States. A native of
Western New York, Ben Holiday removed In
orly manhood to western Missouri, where he
so'stn through the har,ishi,p and vicissitu,las
pioneer lie; there his two daughters OF
nom one be auIe q countess hid the other "A
aioness, passed sorne years of their ,o,li' in
log cabin, obtaining their early esiuca.
on tn the rudest Of backwoods sc,,o,l
ouses. Mr.. Holiday, In the meantime.
owever, acquired some property In live
ock, and ths frsightinG made necsssary bv
70 CAltfofnia emigration gave hi,s hi.
In 1857 che III. y. Kx,,,ra
~ e'dalS~Aed by the Aovmons, the {,
'''" '..i"~ far Bri,rss.in y,,,, ~